Office Mayhem
by Jemima123
Summary: Isabelle Daniels is Cary Agos' own PA whilst he is working at Lockhart and Gardner and he does everything in his power to make her life a living hell and she knows it. Work based relationships aren't easy when they develop much to the workers dismay.
1. Chapter 1

"So what do you think?" Maria asked Isabelle as the young girl stood at the photocopying machine with her elbow resting on it where her arm extended to hold her head. She shrugged once and yawned, placing a hand over her mouth.

"What am I supposed to be thinking about?" she asked Maria and the older woman by a year rolled her eyes as Isabelle stood up as the photocopier began to play up. She moved around it, bending down to examine it and then standing and pressing buttons as Marion continued speak to her;

"You are supposed to be thinking about who will get the new associate job thingy. The whole office is talking about and there are even bets going on. Most people have money of Alicia because her husband was an influential man, even though he ended up in jail. Of course, it is known knowledge that her and Will go back too and so that may help. My hope is that Cary gets it. He's just what this place needs."

"And what is that?" Isabelle asked, tossing her blonde, curly hair behind her shoulders which was covered in a red satin shirt.

"A bit of fresh meat," Maria shrugged. "He's a good looking guy and I certainly would not mind getting a piece."

"Jesus Maria," Isabelle rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be his assistant and act like his personal office bitch. That job is down to me."

"Hey," Maria shrugged. "I will swap."

"I would do with pleasure. The arse made me fetch him coffee with just the right amount of milk and exactly two twenty five gram teaspoons of sugar."

"Uh-Hm," a sudden voice coughed and both women turned away from the photocopier to see Cary Agos leaning against the doorframe with a piece of paper in his hands. Maria looked at Isabelle who was looking at the photocopier instead.

"What can we do for you Mr Agos?" she snapped, opening the large photocopier and pulling out the cartridge, admiring it as Maria didn't know where to look.

"I was just wondering why you two are in here instead of out at your desks," he told her. "I hope the conversation was interesting."

"It was actually quite a dull topic," Isabelle simply said and Maria's mouth dropped open as Cary chuckled once, scratching the back of his head. He knew his PA was blunt and to the point. He also knew she was fiery and he admired that in a girl but only when they weren't directing the anger in his direction.

"I think Alicia is looking for you Maria," he told her and Maria nodded and left the room.

"I shall see you later Is," she simply said and Isabelle nodded, waving once and then placing a new cartridge into the copier, allowing it to continue firing out pieces of paper.

"Why can't you be more like Maria?" Cary wondered. "She's such a pleasant girl."

"Oh please," Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend to not have heard what she said."

"Exactly my point," Cary grinned and Isabelle looked at him.

"Not every girl in the office is falling for your good looks," she told him. "I hate to tell you that."

"I know," Cary said. "I can't even get my own PA to like me."

"Tragic," she rolled her eyes and picked up her copies of paperwork as Cary placed his into the machine and Isabelle rested hers on the side, bending down to find envelopes. Cary turned around, admiring the view as he watched her sway from side to side in a rhythmic process. The tight pencil skirt really did help his admiration.

"Once you're done with that I could really use a coffee," he told her and she gritted her teeth, her back still facing him and she nodded.

"Whatever you say Mr Agos," she said sweetly.

"I met your father today," Cary said.

"Really?"

"Yes," Cary nodded. "He told me that I hope my PA was being good to me."

"And what did you reply with?"

"I said she was a lovely little thing," Cary replied. "He also told me about how he got you your job here because he's a good client."

"Then he would be correct," Isabelle replied.

"Living off daddy," Cary whistled, "it can't be bad."

"Whoa," Isabelle turned around and looked at Cary. "I am doing my hardest to be pleasant to you but you don't make it easy. I am not living off my father."

"He bought you an apartment at the tender age of twenty one," Cary replied. "I think you've got him wrapped around your little finger."

"What are you?" she asked him. "Some kind of investigator."

"I just spoke with your father." He shrugged.

"Well it seems you two got along splendidly," Isabelle replied.

"Oh we did," Cary told her. "I'll have that coffee now Isabelle."

Isabelle moved over to the door, huffing as she went and wondering why Cary had such an effect on her.

"And remember that this arse wants his coffee how he likes it," Cary called out to her but she continued to walk away from him as he chuckled.


	2. Chapter 2

"I need the case notes on the Murray case," Cary informed his secretary as she walked along the halls of Lockhart and Gardner.

"And I need a two week holiday away from you," Isabelle replied to Cary, looking up at him with an innocently placed smile on her face. "It seems we both aren't getting what we want."

"Do I have to tell your father that my own PA is not being useful?" Cary asked, his hand resting on top of his heart. "That would kill me."

"I'll have them to you in the next ten minutes," Isabelle told him through gritted teeth and he nodded once at her.

"Good," he said. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Cary ventured off into his own office, shutting the door quickly as Isabelle took her seat at her desk and began to switch the computer on, looking into the private space he had.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" she spoke in a high pitched voice, mocking Cary's own tone as she clicked quickly on her mouse, allowing the piece of technology to feel the full force of her annoyed manner.

"What has the mouse done to you?" Maria asked her friend, perching herself at the side of her desk as Isabelle remained looking at her computer screen.

"I'd like to pretend the mouse is Cary 'I'm a complete pompous arse' Agos," she replied back, grabbing the printing of the case notes from the printer she kept under her desk.

"What has he done now?"

"He accused me of living off my father!" Isabelle hissed and Maria bit down on the breakfast bar she was eating, swinging her legs as she sat on the desk and looked to the ceiling for a moment.

"He kind of has a point," she admitted and Isabelle cocked a brow, looking up at her.

"Excuse me?"

"Well your father did get you the job here...and he did pay for your apartment..."

"You're only sticking up for him because he's hot," Isabelle muttered and Maria shrugged

"I'm a single, young woman," she said. "It's only right I agree with the rest of the world in the fact that Cary Agos is fit."

"I don't think he is," Isabelle sighed out.

"You wouldn't," Maria snorted. "Besides, he's not a bad guy. I heard him being nice to a rape victim the other day."

"Well he can't exactly be mean to her, can he?" Isabelle checked with her friend who pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side before nodding.

"I suppose you're right," she said.

"Why would it be so hard for him to print off the case notes? He emailed them to me in the first place to print off when he could have done it himself and saved himself the bother of waiting for me."

"You are so blind," Maria chuckled lightly and Isabelle stapled the notes together, checking her email as she did so.

"How so?"

"Why else would a guy want to get you to do stuff?"

"To be an annoying prick?"

"No," Maria said. "It's obvious he is getting you to do stuff because he clearly wants to talk to you."

"Or annoy me?"

"Annoyance is one sign of flirtation," Maria said and Isabelle stood up, snorting.

"I don't think so," she said and walked off to Cary's office, opening the door and seeing him sitting at his desk, pen in his hand as he twirled it.

"I have the notes," she simply said, resting them onto his desk and looking at him.

"Thank you very much Miss Daniels," he told her. "I really don't know why you made such a fuss."

"I really don't know why you couldn't print them out yourself," Isabelle told him and Cary shrugged.

"You've done it now," he said. "It is no big deal."

"Whatever you say Mr Agos," she replied, unable to find herself interested in speaking with him or making a mountain out of a mole hill.

...

"No!" Isabelle snapped as she sat in her car in the parking lot. She hit the wheel of the silver sedan and leant back in her leather seat, pushing her hair from her eyes and sighing once as she did so. She turned the key in the ignition again but the car refused to spring to life. Climbing from the metal she looked around, noting her lights at the front were on and she sighed. She had drained the battery after forgetting to turn them off.

"Great," she moaned, settling down on the bonnet of her car and calling for a tow to a garage.

...

"What do you mean an hour?" was the first thing which Cary heard as he and Alicia made their way into the almost deserted parking garage. The two of them looked at the source of the yelling and then looked at each other with raised brows.

"Alicia!" a sudden voice shouted out and she turned around, seeing Will stood there and moving over to the two of them.

"Well I'm telling you that I need my car fixed or else I'm stuck here and I am seriously not impressed! You're supposed to be available anytime and this is just crap!"

"Is that Miss Daniels?" Will asked, noting her sat on the bonnet of her car.

"Apparently so," Cary said. "I'll go and help her out. You talk to Alicia."

"Cheers," Will nodded and Alicia followed him back away from the car park. Cary moved over to Isabelle as she hung her phone up and dropped it onto her silver bonnet, tossing her head back in annoyance.

"Problem?" Cary asked her.

"A bigger one now that you're here," she murmured and jumped off her car.

"No need to be like that," he told her. "I came to see if you wanted any help."

"You've never wanted to help me before. If anything you go out your way to annoy me."

"Come on," Cary shrugged, "I'm trying to be nice. Do you need a ride home?"

"I'm supposed to wait with my car," she replied and Cary shrugged.

"It's winter," he said. "It's freezing in here and I imagine your car is just as cold. I'll give you a lift and you can sort your car out tomorrow."

"Why would you want to help?"

"Do you want a lift or not Daniels?" he said quickly. "I'm only going to ask again once."

"Okay," she said quickly. "Thanks."


	3. Chapter 3

"Shut up Cary," Isabelle hissed as she sat in the passenger side of his car and she ended her call with the garage which was supposed to be picking her car up. She had been fuming after they had told her it was to be another twenty four hours before they would pick it up. She dropped her phone onto her lap and ran a hand through her blonde curly hair as Cary coughed once, keeping his hand on his wheel and looking ahead.

"You know," Cary said softly, "you're seriously not threatening when you're angry."

"Shut up," she snapped again. "Don't annoy me."

"I'm not," Cary said. "I am telling you what I think."

"Just leave it Cary," she pleaded and rested her elbow just below the window as Cary continued driving.

"Fine," Cary said simply. "You don't have to be so defensive Daniels."

"I'm not," she replied. "You're an arse and I'm tired."

"I'm an arse?" he asked her. "How could you say that?"

"You make me pour you a specific amount of sugar into your coffee. You refuse to do any work yourself and make my life easier because I am not just your PA but I also need to help other lawyers who are higher up than you."

"Wow," Cary simply said once. "You really have a low opinion of me."

"Can you blame me?" she replied.

Cary simply chuckled in response and said nothing back to her, unsure of what to say to her in response.

"Where is it you live?" he asked her after a moment of awkward silence.

"The apartment block on West Street," she told him simply and he nodded, tapping it into his Satellite Navigation as Isabelle looked out her window and Cary continued his tapping, one hand remaining on the wheel.

"Bloody thing," he muttered under his breath. "I said West Street!" he snapped and Isabelle turned around and looked out at the machine and then she looked up and out the main window.

"Cary!" she snapped at him and he looked where he was going but it was too late. Cary had managed to hit the sidewalk in his effort not to bump into the car which had pulled out in front of him and was driving too slow for him not to crash into it. The car ran up the curb as Cary hit the break which finally made it stop when his car bashed into the lamppost on the pavement.

"Crap!" Cary shouted as he turned the engine off and airbags were deployed. Isabelle coughed into her airbag as Cary pushed his away, climbing out the car and walking around the car, looking at his bonnet whilst Isabelle pushed her way from the vehicle, stepping onto the pavement and stumbling around to the front with her phone in her hand.

"You idiot!" she simply snapped at Cary. "You should have been looking where you were going!"

"Well excuse me for trying to find out where you lived so I could get you home safely!" Cary hissed back, his face close to Isabelle's as she rolled her eyes.

"You could have let me tap the name into the Sat Nav instead of being an idiot and doing it yourself!"

"Jesus Christ," Cary rested his hands onto the back of his head. "I try and do one nice thing for you and this is how you thank me?"

"You could have almost killed me!" she replied quickly.

"But I didn't, did I?"

"You may have given me whiplash," she replied.

"Then sue me!" Cary spat back.

"So what now?" Isabelle asked as she saw Cary kick the front of his car and he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"I'll call a garage and then you can get a taxi back home," Cary told her.

"Well what are you going to do?" she asked as he began to play on his phone, ignoring her as he groaned out loudly and dropped his phone back into his pocket.

"I have a flat battery," he complained. "I need to borrow your phone."

"Fine," she handed it to him and he began to type buttons into it and then he held it from his ear and looked at it.

"It said that it has no reception," he told her and she raised a brow, taking it from him and switching it off then back on again but it continued to say the same thing.

"How can it have no reception?" she said, holding it into the sky and turning around, causing Cary to chuckle.

"Jesus Christ!" she hit the back of it. "Something must have knocked when we crashed."

"So we're stranded?" Cary checked with her and she began to shiver slightly in the cold air.

"Someone is bound to walk past us soon and have a phone," Isabelle said.

"Like that," Cary said as he saw someone across the road who was walking along. Isabelle remained stood where she was whilst Cary rested a hand onto the man's shoulder, smiling and dialling the number for a garage. Isabelle tapped her foot on the pavement impatiently as Cary walked back over to her, nodding at the man in appreciation and thanks.

"You forgot to call me a cab, didn't you?" she said and Cary pursed his lips.

"You're going to have to wait," he said. "The tow company said they will be here in an hour. You can walk if you want although I don't advise it."

"Why not?"

"You'll have to walk past all the clubs and drunk men are sometimes not nice and you won't have me with you to protect you from them."

"As if I need you," she snorted and Cary began to remove his large winter coat.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"I can't be dealing with a pneumonia case if you die," he told her, placing the coat over her shoulders. "I have enough to do and I can't be bothered to search for a new PA."

"Thanks," she muttered, holding the coat closer to her as Cary opened the back door of his car which was still intact.

"Well we will both freeze if we stand out here for much longer," Cary replied and Isabelle climbed into the backseat, followed by Cary who shut the door, preparing for an hour with his loathing PA.


	4. Chapter 4

"So..." Cary drawled as he sat one side in the back seat and Isabelle sat on the other side, her legs bent and resting on the seat, her head resting on her knees as she raised a brow at Cary.

"So what?" she asked him and he chuckled once, running a hand through his hair.

"I was trying to start a conversation. Please continue if you feel like being social," he urged her and she rolled her eyes, shaking her head and closing her eyes for a moment.

"So why are you such an arse to me?" she decided to ask him and his mouth dropped open, making an 'ah' noise as she waited for him to answer.

"No comment," he simply said. "And besides, I just tell you what I want doing. Is that not what PA's are supposed to do?"

"I'm not working at that firm to cater to your every need Cary," she said. "There are other lawyers who also have jobs for me to do and when you ask for things then it puts on too much pressure."

"What?" he asked her. "You can't handle a little bit of photocopying here and then?"

"Don't be sarcastic," she snapped back at him and he began to shiver still cold in only his jacket and shirt. Isabelle took in his appearance as she shivered under his coat and he rubbed his hands together.

"Do you want your coat back?" she asked him and he shook his head.

"I'm fine," he said, his teeth chattering as he spoke. Isabelle sighed once, removing her arms from the sleeves as Cary shook his head. "I said I was fine."

"You're quite clearly freezing," she said. "Now shut up and stop complaining. And I am not doing this for my own benefit but I am thinking of you."

"How considerate Daniels," he chuckled. "Now what are you going to do?"

Without uttering another word Isabelle moved over the seat of the car awkwardly, settling herself onto Cary's lap as her legs dangled over his own. The space was compact and Cary automatically rested his hands onto her hip to make sure she didn't topple over. Isabelle used the coat as a blanket, wrapping it around both of them.

"I just think you enjoy being close to me," Cary whispered, his body warming up as they shared body heat.

"Don't count on it," she replied in a hiss and Cary laughed once.

"Of course," he coughed lightly, "it would be warmer if we were to both be naked."

"I will seriously slap you in a moment," she warned him.

"You wouldn't," Cary replied and his free hand snaked under his coat, pushing her blouse up lightly and his hand rested onto her cold skin. She jumped at the coldness of his hand and shoved his hand away, slapping his arm.

"You arsehole!" she snapped at him. "You knew that would be cold."

"Lighten up," Cary told her. "It was only a joke."

"Lighten up?" she hissed. "You're the straight faced lawyer! Not me!"

"You're certainly acting the part," Cary replied.

"That's because I don't like spending time with you."

"I would never have guessed," Cary rolled his eyes.

"Can you try and be human," Isabelle pleaded. "Only for one hour."

"Whatever you say," Cary said. "On the condition you stop calling me an arse."

"Don't act like one then."

"I don't."

"You so do."

"You're completely immature," Cary replied. "Is that how you got your job? Daddy had to get it for you because you couldn't cope with the maturity?"

"My dad got me my job because I was a recovering drug addict," she snapped at Cary and the blonde man went silent for a moment whilst Isabelle ran a hand over her cheek. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," Cary said. "What happened?"

"Do you really think I am going to tell you?" Isabelle replied. "You're the man who is making my working life a misery?"

"I think you've started a story and so can't stop," Cary told her softly, his hand making circular motions on her waist involuntary.

"I can," she said defiantly. "It doesn't matter."

"It does," Cary said. "You do know I can find this out from your file? I have records."

"What do you want to know?" Isabelle snapped at him, annoyed he was pushing her and she was about to crack. "My mother died when I was sixteen and I rarely saw my father...I turned to alcohol and partying and ended up addicted to heroin only to stop when I was found near dead on the bathroom floor in some man's apartment who I didn't know. Does that answer your question?"

"I'm sorry," Cary said. "I never knew."

"If you knew then would you have stopped being such an idiot to me at work?" she asked him, turning red as she did so.

"Look," Cary said slowly, "I am sorry for what happened."

"That's not going to change anything," Isabelle muttered. "What I just told you...I told you because you pushed me, okay? I don't want anyone else knowing...only Will knows and I want to keep it that way in the firm."

"You can trust me," Cary replied. "I won't tell a soul."

"You'd best not Cary."

"Isabelle," Cary used her first name, "would you just trust me for once? I'm not as much of an arse as you want to think."

"Hmm," she said, still sceptical.


	5. Chapter 5

"Can I have a word?" Cary asked Will the next day as he strolled into his office, only to see Alicia sat in the seat opposite Will, leaning in closely before the man looked up at Cary, raising a brow as Alicia stood up.

"I shall talk to you about the Holmes case another day," she shrugged off, nodding once at Cary as she shut the door and the young man took a seat in the chair Alicia had vacated.

"What can I do for you Cary?" Will wondered, clasping his hands together and resting them on his lap whilst Cary rested his hands onto the arms of his chair.

"Miss Daniels," he said simply. "She informed me of her history."

Will coughed once for a moment, looking sceptical as to what to say to Cary.

"And what did she tell you?" Will wondered, not wanting to put his foot into anything with him presuming what Cary knew.

"She told me that she is a recovering drug user," Cary said, "heroin to be precise."

"And why would Miss Daniels tell you this?" Will wondered. "I thought she wanted it to be private."

"She did," Cary said. "It is irrelevant as to why she told me."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because...well...it sounds stupid...but I wanted to know if there is anything I should know."

"I don't know what you mean," Will admitted to him.

"Well, is there any chance that I could help her?" Cary wondered. "She works for me effectively and I want to make sure she won't relapse."

"And am I the person to ask about this?" Will replied. "If you're so concerned about Isabelle then why do you not ask her yourself?"

"Miss Daniels and I don't always see eye to eye," Cary admitted.

"I am aware," Will nodded once. "She has been in the staff room and your name and the word arsehole seem to be used in sentences a lot."

"That's her favourite word for me," Cary grinned cockily once as Will remained tight lipped. "I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do for her."

"I am really not the person to speak to about this Cary," Will said and Cary stood up, buttoning his jacket and knowing it was the end of the conversation. "I didn't know you cared for Miss Daniels as much as this."

"I don't," Cary quickly defended himself. "She's a good PA."

"Is that all she is Cary?"

"She's a colleague," Cary stated simply.

"Good," Will said, knowing he was about to be hypocritical but by doing so he would be giving the boy some advice, "because work based relationships don't work that well. Especially with lawyers Cary."

"I'll take your word for it."

...

"The bill for your car came in," Isabelle said, standing in the doorway of Cary's office as she held a letter in her hand as it scratched her left arm up and down repeatedly.

"How much?" Cary asked, looking up from his work and onto the young blonde.

"I think you'd best look," she handed him the letter and shut the door to his office whilst he whistled lowly.

"That's this month's pay packet blown," he complained and Isabelle smirked lightly.

"You're itching," Cary said, picking his pen up and writing down onto paper whilst Isabelle shifted uncomfortably.

"I do that sometimes," she whispered. "It's nothing."

"Come here," Cary said, indicating to the sofa and she raised a brow. "I won't kill you."

"I'm aware," she said and sat down onto the sofa as Cary turned his leather chair around, sitting opposite her as his hands moved to the end of her shirt sleeve. Neither one of them spoke as Cary unbuttoned the cuff and rolled the sleeve up, turning her arm around where he saw all the small scars on her arm. He leaned back and picked up his cold water bottle, pressing it onto her arm.

"The coolness should stop you from itching," he muttered. "It looks like you may have a rash too."

"You don't need to help me," she told him. "I know it's ugly to even look at."

"It's not that bad Isabelle," he murmured.

"Yes it is," she replied. "I can't even wear normal clothes without being reminded of what I did."

"I think the clothes you wear are nice," Cary told her with a smirk, "I personally cannot fault Topshop."

Isabelle snorted at him for a moment and laughed once, looking into his eyes as he smiled back at her.

"See," he said. "I'm not an arse all the time."

...

"I hired you to tell me where she is," an angry voice snapped at Kalinda as the private investigator looked at him, her eyebrows raised and her hands on her hips.

"And I told you," she lied, "I cannot find her anywhere."

"Then I want my money back," the man huffed, "and I will find someone else to get her."

"Good luck with that," Kalinda snorted and handed him a wad of cash. "You'll never find her."

"I don't even want to tell you how wrong you are," the man chuckled once and walked away whilst Kalinda made her way back into work, her thoughts occupying her mind as she looked into the office of the newbie, Cary Agos. She saw the blonde girl sat on his sofa as Cary held something to her arm. Maybe she had cut herself? Kalinda looked at Isabelle Daniels, hoping she knew what kind of trouble she could be in with her previous client.


	6. Chapter 6

"Your little PA is in trouble," Kalinda Sharma informed Cary once she had seen Isabelle leave on her dinner break with her nosy friend. Cary raised a brow and looked at Kalinda as she shut the door and took a seat on the sofa, crossing her legs, her notebook still in her hand whilst Cary turned in his chair and looked at her, leaning forward and clasping his hands together.

"And what kind of trouble would this be?" he asked Kalinda and she looked at him intently and nodded.

"I know you know about her past," Kalinda said. "Will asked me to make sure you didn't make her feel uncomfortable."

"And how do you know about her past?"

"I'm a private detective Cary," she told him simply. "It's my job to find out what you don't know."

"Well," Cary clapped his hands once, "what is this grave danger you speak about?"

"She's annoyed a man. Not a very nice one either," Kalinda said. "He asked me to find out where she was working."

"And did you tell him?"

"No," Kalinda said simply. "I told him that I didn't know where she was and he's gone to find another investigator."

"And what does he want with Isabelle?"

"He wants the one thousand dollars worth of heroin which she stole from him," Kalinda replied. "Apparently she was a valuable customer until she betrayed him."

"One thousand dollars?" Cary checked and leaned back, straightening his tie out and shaking his head. "I'll pay for it if she can't."

"Why would you do that?" Kalinda asked. "She's only your PA."

"You know what she's been through Kalinda," Cary replied. "She doesn't need some cracked up drug dealer coming in and threatening her for money."

"You like her," Kalinda said. "More than your PA."

"No," Cary said quickly. "What is his name?"

"I wouldn't bother," Kalinda told Cary. "It isn't the money which is bothering him. He wants personal vengeance for her betraying him."

"You mean he wants to kill her?" Cary checked and Kalinda shrugged.

"I thought he would just want to give her a good beating," she said. "But we both know anger can lead into murder."

Kalinda stood up and looked back at Cary as she opened the door, simply saying;

"If you care as little as you say," she said, "then this won't bother you."

She left the office and Cary watched her move away before he grabbed onto his phone, quickly picking it up and punching in the numbers he needed.

"Isabelle," he said simply, "I need you back at the office now."

…

"You've been in a funny mood all day," Isabelle commented as she finished off the paperwork and rested it onto Cary's desk and he looked at her.

"I have no idea what you mean," he replied quickly. "I've been busy."

"No," she whispered, "there's something else."

"There's nothing else," he assured her. "I promise you."

"Are you sure?" she asked him. "Because you've been helpful all day and I've hardly had to move from my desk."

"I can be nice Isabelle," Cary simply replied back to her. "Besides…your desk is like sanctuary right?"

"Right," Isabelle drawled. "Well I'm heading off for the night."

"How are you getting home?" Cary asked her.

"Cab," she replied. "My car is still in the garage."

"I'll share a cab with you then," Cary said and dropped everything he was doing. "It will be cheaper and my car is still broken."

"See," she pointed out, "this is what I mean by the different behaviour."

"Come on," Cary said and put his coat on and picked up his briefcase, moving along the corridor with her.

…

"Here's my share," she told Cary as the taxi pulled up outside her apartment block and Cary looked at the driver and then Isabelle as he took her money. He saw her jump out quickly and move into the apartment before he gave the taxi driver an instruction to wait for a moment.

…..

"Miss Daniels," a voice greeted Isabelle as she pulled her apartment keys from her bag and she looked up to see a tall man stood there. His grey hair was slicked back from his face and his eyes were narrowed in her direction. Isabelle dropped her keys back into her bag before turning on her heel and running down the corridor. The man grasped onto her arm by the stairwell, turning her and slamming her against the wall.

"That wasn't a nice greeting, was it Isabelle?"

"Get off me," she said deeply and he looked into her eyes, brushing her blonde hair from her face and pushing it behind her ear.

"You took a lot of money from me Isabelle," he whispered. "More money than your life is worth."

"I said get off," she snapped at him.

"I think you should listen to her," Cary's voice suddenly spoke as he stood by the stairwell doors and the man looked at Agos and chuckled.

"You've got yourself a little jumped up boyfriend in a suit then?" he checked with her. "Well even he can't save you from this."

"I'll call the police," Cary simply replied. "Don't think I won't. And I will sue your arse for every penny you have and make sure you go down on numerous counts of every crime you can think of."

"I'd like to see you try," the man snapped at Cary but he eased off his hold on Isabelle as the blonde slid down the wall, bending her knees and looking up at the two men as they came face to face.

"I'll be seeing you soon," he decided and Cary nodded.

"I do hope so," Cary replied and he bumped into his shoulder as he left the stairwell.

"You alright?" Cary asked Isabelle, bending down in front of her and helping her up before she held onto him tightly and he held her back.

...

Thank you to anyone reviewing and please let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

"Why did you follow me?" Isabelle asked Cary as he walked her back down the stairwell. He had removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, walking with her slowly and his arm round her waist.

"I...I knew there was someone after you..." Cary stuttered.

"And you didn't tell me?" Isabelle snapped. "Did you think it would be useful for me to know?"

"Of course I did," Cary nodded as she stood on the step above him and he managed to look up to her and into her eyes.

"Then why did you not say anything?" Isabelle snapped. "You knew he...you knew he would be there..."

"I didn't know that he would be here!" Cary snapped back. "Why do you think I came back up here?"

"I..." Isabelle didn't know what to say back to him.

"Look," Cary simply replied, "you are coming back to mine and that's final."

"I'm fine," Isabelle replied. "He won't come back."

"And you know that for sure?" Cary asked her and she said nothing.

"Come on," Cary said simply. "We're going."

...

"I'm not hungry Cary," Isabelle told the young lawyer as he ordered her and himself a Chinese.

"You need to eat something," he said and dropped his phone onto the worktop in the kitchen. He looked to the side and saw Isabelle stood there after she had been for a shower and his mouth fell open slightly and he managed to shut it before Isabelle caught on.

"I'm really not that hungry," she assured him.

"Well you're eating and that is final." Cary replied quickly. "I'm the host and you're the guest."

"Okay," Isabelle replied and sat down onto his leather sofa and he handed her a bottle of water.

"Thank you," Isabelle told him. "For everything...I...I didn't really want to stay at my apartment."

"You're welcome," Cary said back to her. "Something told me you would have regretted it in the end."

Isabelle ran a hand through her blonde curls which were pulled back into a bun as she tucked her legs underneath her and she sat in Cary's shirt and joggers.

...

"We're both adults Cary," Isabelle told him once they had washed up together and managed to be civil for the whole of two hours. Isabelle stood in the doorway of Cary's bedroom as he moved around his sofa, adjusting a blanket he had taken from his room and dropping it over the leather material as he stood in his pyjamas and looked at Isabelle.

"I'm fine on the sofa," Cary replied and Isabelle yawned.

"You have a big case tomorrow and you need sleep," Isabelle replied. "I will take the sofa and you can have your bed or you can just sleep in your bed with me."

"Fine," Cary replied with a nod. "I suppose you're right."

"I'm your PA," she snorted. "I'm always right."

"I suppose you have a point," he replied. "Do you want the right or the left hand side of the bed?"

"I am not bothered," Isabelle said.

"You can have the left then," Cary told her. "I like the right."

"Okay," she said and Cary climbed into his bed as Isabelle stood on the other side and pulled the joggers down her legs and Cary gulped.

"What are you doing?" he simply asked her.

"Your shirt is long Cary," she replied. "I can't sleep in these. I'll be too warm."

"Fine," Cary said, moving onto his side as she moved into the bed and turned onto her side.

"Goodnight Cary," Isabelle said after a moment of silence. Cary remained quiet for another few seconds before he replied;

"Goodnight Isabelle."

...

Cary slept soundly that evening as he found himself facing the other way and he managed to open his eyes, seeing Isabelle still sleeping with her hand stuffed under the pillow and her hair messed up on his pillow. He looked at her intensely as she breathed lightly and then he chuckled when he heard her snore. He never had her down as a snorer but it amused him deeply as he remained watching her before he stood up from the bed and adjusting the top and pyjama bottoms on his body before plodding out into the kitchen to hear a knock on the door at six a.m. He only hoped it wasn't the man from last night.

...


	8. Chapter 8

"Jesus Christ," Cary said once he had checked through his peephole and he saw Will Gardner stood at the door, pieces of paper in his hands as he looked at Cary with a raised brow.

"Were you expecting someone else?" he asked the young lawyer who shook his head in return.

"No," he said. "But why are you here? At my apartment?"

"You weren't answering your cell," Will said. "And the case has been moved up to nine a.m. this morning so you are needed in the next hour."

Cary nodded before Will heard a noise which sounded like a snore and he looked at Cary as he ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head as he did so.

"I'm not going to ask," Will said and Cary continued to move his head from left to right in a fast motion.

"It isn't what you think," he told Will. "Isabelle stayed over last night..."

"And why would that be?" Will said and Cary wondered whether he should tell him or not. It wasn't really in his place and he was sure that Isabelle wouldn't want her dirty laundry spread around either even though she trusted Will.

"We were working...she was writing notes...and it got late..."

"I get it," Will said. "Just be careful with her Cary...make sure she's not a one night fling..."

"It was not like that," Cary told him hastily and Will raised a hand, moving over to the door.

"You don't need to explain to me," he said and left the apartment as Cary shook his head, walking back into his bedroom and nudging Isabelle gently in the arm as she stirred.

"We need to go," Cary said to her and she moved her head from side to side.

"It's too early," she complained and Cary chuckled, removing his top and shrugging into his white shirt as Isabelle buried her face into her pillow.

"The case has been moved forward to nine," he said. "I need you with me."

"Why?" Isabelle asked, turning to face him as he did up the last button on his shirt.

"Because," Cary drawled, "I can't leave you alone when I know someone wants to hurt you."

"You can't protect me twenty four seven either," she pointed out, bending her elbow and resting her head onto her hand as Cary nodded in agreement.

"That is true," he said, "but I'm going to give it my best shot."

"You don't need to," she assured him.

"Yes I do," he said, "but if you continue to snore then I may have to reconsider that."

"I do not snore!" she replied, horrified he would say such a thing. Cary chuckled at her and nodded, moving into his trousers quickly as Isabelle shook her head.

"Yes you do," he said. "Now get dressed...we need to go soon..."

...

"Have you got all the notes?" Isabelle asked Cary as they stood in the office at seven fifteen in the morning. It was deserted and only Will and Alicia were there, preparing for the same case which could win the company more money than they had dreamed of.

"Yes," Cary replied, pointing to his table and she pursed her lips.

"Your tie isn't right," she told him and he looked down at it, groaning as he did so.

"You'd have thought I would be able to tie a tie," Cary rolled his eyes. "Looks like a Harvard education can't teach you everything."

"Come here," Isabelle said as Cary moved over to her and she undid it slowly, moving it around in her hands quickly and easily whilst Cary looked down onto her face which was pale and focused.

"When did you learn how to be good at this?"

"I have a father," she said. "He rarely wears suits and when he did he never knew how to do a tie. How do you normally do yours in the morning because this is atrocious?"

"I was distracted this morning," Cary told her as she finished tightening it and looked up to Cary.

...

"Will," Alicia warned him as the two of them stood the other side of the open spaced office, looking through the glass into Cary's where the young lawyer stood and his PA had finished doing his tie, her hands resting on his chest as Cary gently moved his hand to place a piece of hair behind her ear. "Don't interrupt them."

"Why not?" he asked. "I found them together this morning so I am sure they had their chance to keep their hands off each other last night."

"But look at them," Alicia said. "Cary actually looks...well...like he is nervous..."

"I think that is just a power which women possess," Will said, looking into Alicia's eyes. "The power to make men nervous."

...

A/N: Please leave me a review and thank you to all those who have reviewed in the past!


	9. Chapter 9

"Will," Alicia hissed as she saw him open his mouth, about to yell at the young couple in their office but she grasped onto his arm quickly and pulled him back down the corridor as he snickered to himself quietly. "Just give them two more minutes."

"I didn't know you were quite the romantic," Will informed Alicia and she raised a brow at the lawyer.

"Well I think when they just wanted a moment," Alicia said. "We could give them that. You're just too much of an interferer."

"You think so?" he asked her, moving closer to her as he did so and she shook her head.

"Not here Will," she said simply.

"Those two are," he said, pointing back to Cary's office and she chuckled, hitting him lightly on the chest.

"Them two don't have two children and a husband," she said. "We need to keep this low."

"I can do that," Will assured her. "But you're a spoil sport."

...

"We're in the middle of the office," Cary whispered to Isabelle as he leaned in closer to her, his hand moving around to cup her neck, making sure she couldn't draw back from him.

"We're technically on the right hand side," she told him and he managed to shrug awkwardly.

"Irrelevant," he said.

"But there's no one here," Isabelle whispered to him. "Only Will and Alicia down the hallway."

"Hmm," Cary grunted in agreement, moving his other hand to hold onto her waist lightly as she held onto. "So you don't think this is wrong?"

"I think it will be too late," Isabelle said, "in another second."

She pressed her lips to his softly and Cary held her gently as she wrapped her hands into his hair and closed her eyes, allowing him to manipulate his mouth against hers and she didn't object at all. She pressed herself closer to him, allowing him to press her back up against his wall before the two of them parted and Isabelle looked at Cary as he pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear again and he rested his hand onto her cheek. She looked down onto the floor, her eyes detached from any emotion as she fidgeted in trying to get away from Cary's hold.

"I think we should be going," Isabelle told Cary simply and she backed away from him, grabbing her coat and purse before moving out into the main office where she saw Will and Alicia making their way. Cary stood in his office, looking out of the glass window and he remained still, watching as Isabelle looked down at the floor. She had scampered from that room quicker than he could even begin imagine. Cary angrily picked up his briefcase and walked over to the three of them, hitting the button for the elevator.

"We ready?" he asked with a snap, standing beside Isabelle but not looking at her whilst Will and Alicia looked at the pair of them.

...

"I'm off on my lunch," Isabelle informed Cary once they had come back from court for an hour and he was in his office, looking through paperwork.

"Fine," he said without saying anything.

"Do you want anything?" she tried to be pleasant to him and he shook his head;

"No."

"Okay then," Isabelle replied and moved off to the elevator with Maria in tow, the pair of them gossiping about nothing he imagined. Did she forget she had a drug dealer after her? Did she just want to go out into the city like nothing could hurt her? Slamming his pen onto his desk, Cary shut his eyes and ran his hands over his face, wondering why she had ran from his office without another word earlier. He hadn't been the one to instigate the kiss. In fact, she was the one who kept on pressing her body to his. He had just simply gone with it.

...

"You're eating chips," Maria informed Isabelle once their order had come in the local cafe down the road where most of the businessmen from their area of town ate. Isabelle drank on the water in front of her and she shrugged once.

"I am aware," she told her friend. "I kissed Cary."

"Excuse me?" Maria snapped, spluttering her white wine which she wasn't supposed to be drinking on her lunch hour.

"I kissed him," Isabelle said.

"I heard that bit," Maria said. "I was just checking my ears weren't playing me up...why did you do that? I thought he was an arse who couldn't do anything right and had far too much sugar in his coffee?"

"He was and he does have too much sugar! He uses all of it in the office," Isabelle replied with a nod. "I just...he's been really nice to me the last couple of days..."

"Since when?" Maria asked with a snort.

"Just..." Isabelle began but shook her head. She didn't want Maria to know anything about her past and she wasn't going to tell her anything. "He just has."

"And what did he think to it?" Maria said, picking at the fish which was on her plate, wrinkling her nose at the bone she found.

"I don't know," Isabelle said, popping a chip into her mouth.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Maria said through a mouthful of fish. "Did he not say anything like 'oh my God Is...you're such a great kisser'...or 'we should totally just have sex'?"

"You're unbelievable you know that?" Isabelle checked with her friend.

"No," she said. "All the girls in that office would have died to have Cary Agos in their control."

"Now you're being melodramatic."

"I'm not," she shook her head. "So why didn't he say anything?"

"I kind of just left the room," Isabelle shrugged and Maria dropped her fork with a clatter.

"Excuse me?" she said. "You just left him stood there?"

"Well yeah," Isabelle replied. "I didn't know what to say and I panicked."

"You do not do that!" Maria snapped. "Guys may pretend that they don't care when a girl says nothing about a kiss but it is all lies...they like to know if she enjoyed it so that they can do it again and when you run away then you just damage their confidence."

"And where did you learn that?"

"Cosmo magazine," Maria tossed her hair to the side and shrugged, looking into Isabelle's eyes. "You need to apologise to Cary."

...

DocWho999 and Silver Skyline for reviewing the past few chapters! Please let me know what you think!


	10. Chapter 10

"We need to talk," Isabelle said as she opened the door to Cary's office and saw him sat with Kalinda on the sofa. "I'm so sorry...I didn't see..." she garbled and Cary looked at her as he smirked at what Kalinda had been telling him, holding his coffee to his lips and looking at his PA.

"I'll be done in two minutes and then we can talk," he said sternly and coldly to Isabelle and she nodded.

"It doesn't matter," she decided. "It wasn't anything important."

"Okay then," Cary said and she left the room, shutting the door and going to sit back down at her desk, occasionally peering into the room where Cary and Kalinda were. Why was she so paranoid at looking at the pair of them? She wasn't jealous of Kalinda. She wasn't jealous that Cary was spending time in her company and the two of them looked quite cosy. She couldn't be jealous because that would be absurd. And besides, she had more pressing matters to deal with, like a drug dealer wanting to beat her badly rather than Cary flirting with someone else.

...

"She was jealous," Kalinda stated as she read through her little notebook and Cary looked out to where Isabelle had sat down and he shrugged.

"It doesn't matter," he told her and she raised a brow at him.

"You two have something going on and so don't even deny it Cary," Kalinda told him and he shook his head. "You're denying it," she pointed out. "I know she stayed over at your apartment last night too."

"I did that because that guy was at her apartment."

"He found where she lives then," Kalinda nodded. "I wonder who he went to for that information."

"You never gave him it?"

"No," Kalinda shook her head. "As soon as I found out that it was this Isabelle he wanted then I told him I didn't know where she was. I gave him nothing. So what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Cary asked whilst he was flattening his tie and making sure his hair was neatly placed.

"Well this guy wants to hurt her and you can't protect her all the time," Kalinda pointed out. "So is she going to back to hers or staying with you or what?"

"Why so curious?" Cary replied. "I'd say you were jealous."

"Oh Cary," Kalinda said, placing her hand onto his leg and tapping it. "Come back to me when you age out of puberty and then tell me that."

"Hey!" Cary snapped. "I am not some teenager with a huge ego."

"Fine," Kalinda said. "You're a twenty year old something with a massive ego. Now answer my question."

"I haven't thought about it," Cary shrugged. "Isabelle...I know she is in trouble and I want to help her..."

"I sense a 'but' coming in here," Kalinda said, crossing her legs.

"But," Cary drawled, "I don't know if I can. I don't know if I'm good enough to help her."

"You scared of some drug dealer?" Kalinda raised a brow.

"A little," Cary admitted. "And she won't go to the police. She says that there is a lack of evidence on this guy. Apparently he's been arrested multiple times but the charges have always been dropped."

"Then you need to set him up," Kalinda stood up.

"And how do you propose I do that?" Cary replied.

"Give me a week."

...

"You said you wanted to talk earlier," Cary stated. It was the end of the working day and he and Isabelle were stood near the lift, waiting for it to come back up.

"I did," she nodded.

"So talk," he urged her.

"I didn't mean to run out on you," she simply said and Cary raised a brow, shrugging as he stood in his long brown coat with his briefcase and leather gloves on his hands.

"Is that it?" he asked her and she nodded.

"That's the essence of it," she nodded.

"Well then," Cary replied. "I would forgive you but I want to know why you left."

"Why?" she asked him and stepped into the elevator. "I...you're going to think this sounds so pathetic..."

"No," Cary said, pressing the button to go down as the doors shut. "I won't laugh at you."

"You were my first proper kiss," she told him and he did nothing but raise a brow. "And when I say that then I mean you're the only guy I've kissed without being high or drunk."

"Well," Cary coughed once, "I'm flattered...but why did you run because of that?"

"Because...it...it was so intimate Cary..." Isabelle said, buttoning up her long red coat and pulling her blonde curls from under the collar. "I've never been so close to anyone and I didn't know what to do. I panicked."

"And there was me worrying that I was a bad kisser," Cary joked and smirked, looking at her out the corner of his eye as she laughed once at him and shook her head.

"You were alright," she said and he punched her lightly in the arm and she laughed once more.

"Where are you going now?" he asked and she shrugged.

"Who knows," she replied. "I thought about going to look for a new apartment...I can't go back to mine."

"Well at seven o'clock at night you're not getting anything," he said as the elevator deposited them on the ground floor. "We could go back to yours and get you some stuff and then you can stay at mine again."

"Anyone would think you're beginning to like having me around," she told him.

"Nah," he replied. "I'm hoping you can cook."

...

"I didn't know you had OCD," Cary stated as he watched Isabelle pack everything she needed into a holdall, moving quickly as she went and looked at him.

"I don't," she said.

"You have everything categorised and everything is in a perfect place," he told her. "I think it is OCD."

"No," she said, "I just don't like being messy."

"Well your apartment is very nice," he complimented it, taking her second holdall from her and placing it onto his shoulder, playing with his car key as he went. "What the hell did you pack in this bag?"

"The usual," she shrugged. "Toiletries...straightners...curlers...hairdryer...makeup."

"Well it's enough to strain my back," he complained and she took the lighter bag and led him from her apartment and back onto the main street where Cary looked around and placed her bags into the trunk before opening the door to his car for her. He turned the ignition on and began driving as quickly as he could in the dark, paranoid for Isabelle's safety in the lack of light. There was something about it which worried him.

...

"You know I'm probably not going to be at Lockhart and Gardner for much longer," Cary told Isabelle as the two of them sat in his open spaced living room. Isabelle was sat on the floor as Cary sat opposite her, the other side of his coffee table as he made notes. She looked at him with a raised brow.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because there is only one place up for the second year associate," he replied. "And Alicia is going to get it."

"Why so sure?"

"Because she is a Florrick and if you haven't seen Will's obvious attraction to her then you have to be blind," Cary commented and Isabelle chuckled.

"Maria won't stop going on about it," she said, pushing her hair from her face as Cary looked at her smile.

"So then you know I won't be your boss," he said and she nodded, the smile fallen from place and a solemn look upon her pale features.

"I know," she agreed.

"But we could still...well...you know..." Cary shrugged and Isabelle shook her head.

"I don't really know what we are," she told him. "I think we've crossed the boundaries of co-workers."

"I couldn't agree more," he nodded. "So...what does that make us..."

"Friends," Isabelle decided and Cary smirked once.

"Not even placing a girl or a boy in front of that word?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"You haven't even taken me on a date for that to happen Mr Agos," she replied and Cary stood up, offering her out his hand which she took.

"What are you doing?" she asked him and he led her into his kitchen, offering her a seat at his small glass table which she took and he pushed her in.

"What do you want?" he asked her. "I have ham, bread, butter, peanut butter if you're feeling adventurous and some fruit pie."

"Are you trying to say this is a first date?" she cocked a brow and he pulled out a beer and handed her one as he sat opposite her.

"It could be an unconventional one," he nodded. "I have taken you out because we are in my apartment and I have offered to provide you dinner."

Isabelle laughed loudly at him and he chuckled along with her and she shook her head.

"Many would say you're overconfident," she pointed out to him and he smiled lowly.

"Sometimes that's not a bad thing," he replied.

"You know what?" Isabelle said. "You're not as much of an arse as I thought."


	11. Chapter 11

"Mr Agos," a sudden voice spoke as a tall man entered Cary's office without knocking. Cary looked up from the work he was doing with a puzzled expression before he stood up, taking the man's outstretched hand and shaking it. "I trust you remember me."

"Of course," Cary nodded, slowly allowing his eyes to slyly glance out into the office area where he saw Isabelle stood, her eyes piercing the room as she gave him a shrug and Cary looked back at the man. "Mr Daniels."

"Yes," the man nodded once. "I understand you and my daughter have become quite close."

"Well," Cary said, sitting back down in his leather chair as the man sat opposite him on the sofa and Cary once again looked out where Isabelle was answering the phone. "Your daughter and I have become good friends."

"I hear you have been more than friends Mr Agos," the man chuckled, playing with the wedding ring which occupied his finger, smirking down at his lap. His black hair was worn slicked back and his clothes were expensive. He wore a suit but no tie, much like Isabelle had told Cary.

"And how would you have heard this sir?" Cary asked him, flattening out his own tie as Ian Daniels looked back up at the young lawyer.

"Kalinda," he simply replied. "She's an excellent source to have around."

"Ah," Cary said simply. "I suppose it helps that she works in the same firm as your daughter?"

"You could say that," the man shrugged. "I initially asked her to watch over Isabelle to make sure she didn't relapse." Ian said, looking out at where his daughter was, Will Gardner leaning over her shoulder as she showed him some paperwork. "But then Kalinda came to me with the news Isabelle had taken refuge at your apartment."

"Yes," Cary nodded. "I suppose you know what has been happening?"

"Yes," he replied. "I took Isabelle out for dinner and she explained it all. I insisted she come back to live with me."

"Oh," Cary said flatly.

"It is nothing personal Cary," Ian said. "Isabelle appears to be getting along splendidly with you...although I never thought she hated you in the first part."

"We had our differences," he admitted.

"You see I have an issue Cary," Ian replied. "My daughter has never been in a proper relationship as I am sure you're aware."

"She has informed me," Cary said.

"And every man who has ever come into her life has simply used her," Ian said softly, but a hint of deadliness rang in his voice. "And I've wanted to hurt them all."

"I can understand."

"Please be sure that you will be no different," Ian looked into Cary's eyes and Cary said nothing in return for a moment. "I thank you for looking after Isabelle and I thank you for making sure she has her every whim and need catered to. But I will take over until this mess is cleaned up."

"I would not hurt her," Cary said. "You have my word."

Ian chuckled for a moment, looking back out at his daughter as she conversed with Will. "A promise form a lawyer is not one considered valuable."

"Well think of this as me giving you my word as a man," Cary said.

"Okay," Ian said after a moment's pause. "And I also have it on good news that I know who the new intern is going to be." Ian stood up and Cary did the same, his eyes eager and waiting for the answer.

"Are you allowed to share that information with me?"

"No," Ian said. "But Alicia is the favourite."

Cary sighed once, settling into his chair again and looking at the carpet. He could soon be out of a job and then he would have no idea what to do or where to go. Ian went into his pocket and pulled out a small card, handing it to Cary.

"Glenn Childs is the Cook County States Attorney," Ian handed him the card and Cary looked at it. "Mention my name and it can open you all types of doors."

...

"I still wish you had come to me earlier Is," Ian told his daughter as he stood in the kitchen and she set the table, wondering what Cary was doing. "I could have had this problem solved hours ago."

"I didn't know what to do daddy," Isabelle complained. "He took me by surprise."

"Well you're here now," Ian said and kissed her on the forehead, pushing her blonde hair from her cheek. "I'll look after you."

"I don't need looking after," she told her father, going back to setting the table. "I just need him to not want to hurt me."

"That is happening as we speak," Ian assured her. "I'm going to take of everything."

"I know your methods daddy," Isabelle sighed and he shook his head.

"What the police don't know won't hurt them," he promised her. "He's a bad person who is trying to hurt my daughter. He gets what he deserves."

"But I wish you'd work inside the law," she pleaded with him and he shrugged.

"Lockhart and Gardner know what I do and they deal with my legitimate business," he assured her. "I'm not a full time crook."

"I wish you weren't even a part time one," she exasperated.

"I'm not," he said. "I just know people. I only use them when I need to. Like now."

"I still don't like it," Isabelle informed him and she pursed her lips.

"You don't need to like it," he replied. "I had a word with Cary today too."

"I saw," she muttered. "What did you say to him?"

"I just gave him some friendly advice," Ian promised her. "I didn't scare him off if you're worried he won't be interested anymore."

"No," Isabelle replied. "Besides, we're just friends."

"Why does your blush tell me otherwise?" he asked her and she shrugged.

"You're imagining things," she told him.

"I'm your dad Isabelle," he said simply. "You can't hide things from me."

...

Isabelle tapped her finger on the desk nervously as everyone else in the office began to leave the following night. She sat at her desk, waiting for Cary to come back after being told if he had been given the internship. She saw Alicia move back to her office first and they looked at each other as Alicia offered her a small smile and opened her door, grabbing her coat and bag and then leaving the office. She'd left the photo of her family which only meant one thing. Isabelle sighed and stood up, walking into Cary's office and sitting down on his leather chair before she saw him come in and he looked at her.

"I know," she said and he nodded at her once.

"I knew it was going to happen," he said as she stood up and he took the seat in his chair for the last time. "I just didn't want it too."

"There are still other firms out there," she assured him as he grasped onto her wrist and dragged her back to him, making her settle down on his lap as he wrapped his arms round her waist.

"At least you won't have to make me coffee," he told her and she laughed, resting her head on his chest and placing her hands onto his shoulders.

"I suppose that's a good thing."

"And you won't have to talk about me in the staff room because of how I'm such an arsehole."

"Gosh, there are many good things to you not getting this job."

"You could look at it like that," he whispered. "And I can't be fired for intimacy with my secretary."

"But your secretary could still be fired," she pointed out and Cary shrugged.

"There's no one here," he said. "Will and Diane are talking in their office."

"So what do you think you'll do?" Isabelle asked.

"Follow some advice I was given."


	12. Chapter 12

"Glenn Childs?" Isabelle checked as soon as she saw Cary. She was stood outside of his apartment as he looked at her, a beer in his hand as she had her hand on her hip and a raised brow in his direction.

"How did you get here?" he asked. "You are aware that there is someone out there who wouldn't mind seeing you dead."

"My dad drove me," she told him. "Now why are you working for Glenn Childs?"

"Because I need the money," he told her simply. "I need a job…I don't have Alicia's fortunate position."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked him as he allowed her into his apartment, taking her coat from her and the bag she was carrying on her shoulder as he placed his beer on the small table near his door.

"It means that I don't have the fortune of having her name," Cary said to Isabelle and she looked at him.

"I'm sure that isn't why they chose her," Isabelle said and Cary shrugged, hanging her coat and bag up. "You are both good lawyers."

"But I didn't sleep with the boss," Cary muttered and Isabelle narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know Alicia and Will have something," he said to her. "Anyone can see it."

"She has a husband," Isabelle said. "Alicia wouldn't cheat on him."

"What makes you so sure?"

"He cheated on her," Isabelle said. "She wouldn't be able to do that in return and you shouldn't say things like that Cary."

"Relax," he said with a roll of his eyes. "All I am saying is that she had it easy. I've had to work my way up."

"I just don't know if getting involved with Childs is a good idea Cary," Isabelle said to him and he looked at her before drinking some more of his beer.

"Why not?"

"There's talk of him being corrupt," Isabelle said.

"It is only talk Is," Cary said. "Why are you so worried?"

"He just…well…he tried to ruin Alicia's marriage with the tapes and all that," Isabelle said to Cary. "He can ruin someone if they don't agree with him."

"And this bothers you because…" Cary said, leaving it open for her to continue and she shook her head.

"I just don't want him to use anything against you like he did with Peter," Isabelle told Cary.

"Well what would he find out?"

"Anything about me," Isabelle squeaked. "I don't want him to hold my past against you because we're sort of seeing each other."

"There's no need to worry," Cary assured her. "He's already told me what he wants in return for me working for him."

"What would that be?"

"He wants information on Kalinda."

"Kalinda?" Isabelle raised her brows. "As in the Kalinda who works at our firm?"

"It is just your firm now. I don't work there. And yes it is that Kalinda," Cary confirmed for her and she blinked several times.

"What does he want to know?"

"Apparently she has a very dark past," Cary said.

"And are you going to be a pawn in his little chess game?"

"Would you like a drink?" Cary changed the conversation as he walked into his open spaced kitchen and Isabelle followed him, her heels clicking onto Cary's wooden floor.

"Are you going to give him the information on Kalinda?"

"No," Cary said through gritted teeth. "I'm going to tell Kalinda what Childs is after. She's a big girl and can look after herself."

"I don't like this Cary," Isabelle complained.

"You don't need to Belle," Cary handed her a glass of water and she took it, folding her arms as she looked at him.

"Just don't get into trouble Cary…"

"I know what I'm doing."

…..

"Cary is working for Childs," Isabelle told Will and Alicia as the two of them sat in the meeting room and they both looked at her as she prepared it. Will had simply asked if Cary was fine about not getting the job. He hadn't expected him to find work as soon as he had left.

"Glenn Childs?" Alicia checked and she looked at Will whilst Isabelle placed out the glasses.

"Yeah," she said.

"How did he manage to get into the State's Attorney Office?" Will said to Isabelle who bit her tongue and shook her head.

"He said he fell lucky," she lied to the pair of them. "I think my father had something to do with it."

"Of course," Will chuckled. "You can go Isabelle…Alicia and I can finish up in here."

Isabelle moved out of the conference room and then back down to her desk and she looked into the office which Cary had vacated and the new lawyer sat. Isabelle began to work before she saw him walk out of the elevator. His brown coat was held on his shoulders as he looked around the office space and moved through it like he still worked there. Cary nodded over at Isabelle before he disappeared into Kalinda's office and sat down opposite her in the leather chair.

….

"Childs is after you," Cary simply told Kalinda as the two of them looked at each other and Kalinda rested her hands onto her desk.

"Okay," she simply said.

"Okay?" Cary checked with her. "How is any of this okay for you?"

"Because I can handle it." She assured him. "And how do you know this?"

"He told me," Cary shrugged. "He wanted me to give him information on you."

"And what did you say?"

"I said I would," Cary muttered. "But I'm not starting to do so for another twelve hours."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying you should get rid of anything which could incriminate you." Cary said.

"I'll take that advice into account," Kalinda said and began to write in her book as Cary looked out at the office which Isabelle had left and he saw her in the photocopying room as the new lawyer from Family was there with her. "Why did you tell me this?"

Cary shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he saw the man touch Isabelle on the arm.

"Because you helped Isabelle," Cary said. "You have anything on the new lawyer?"

Kalinda looked up and followed Cary's gaze and she looked at the back of his blonde head.

"He's been hovering around Isabelle all morning," she told Cary.

"Right," Cary said and he stood up.

"Don't make a scene," Kalinda spoke. "You don't work here and you don't want to seem like an overprotective boyfriend."

"Hmm," Cary said, not keeping up with her conversation as he walked out of her office and picked up Isabelle's coat on his way to the photocopying room.

"Hey," Cary said as he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. "Want to come for some dinner?"

"Hey," Isabelle replied and the new lawyer looked at the pair of them. "Yeah…I think it's my dinner hour anyway…let me grab my coat…"

"Already got it," Cary said and helped her to shrug into it.

"I'll see you in an hour then Is," the lawyer said and Cary looked at him.

"Okay," Isabelle replied. "Oh…Cary this is Mike Valence and Mike this is Cary Agos…"

"Hi," Mike said and offered Cary his hand and the two them shook. "I'm the new Family lawyer."

"I'm the ex first year associate," Cary said.

"Oh," Mike's mouth fell open slightly. "Isabelle hasn't mentioned you…"

"I didn't see why there would be any need," Isabelle replied.

"Well she likes to keep our relationship quiet," Cary shrugged awkwardly. "We're dating."

"I guessed that from your greeting," Mike said, his eyes narrowed.

"Well just so you know," Cary said.

"Okay then," Isabelle said loudly. "Let's go Cary. I'll see you later Mike."

Cary followed Isabelle out from the photocopying room and to the elevator where she pressed the button and the two of them looked at the steel doors.

"He clearly fancies you." Cary stated.

"And you were clearly jealous," Isabelle said. "It was cute."

"I wasn't going for cute," Cary said stepping into the elevator, "because he can't have my PA."


	13. Chapter 13

"Isabelle," a voice spoke as the young woman walked into her own apartment. She knew she shouldn't be there but she needed to go back to pick up some more of her clothes. Her father had been adamant that she was to stay with him as the man after her was still on the loose much to her dismay. Little did she know he was waiting for her in her own apartment.

"Oh God," she complained as she moved over to the door again and he reached her, wrapping his arm around her wrist as she turned around and flung her fist at him only for it to be caught in his other hand.

"Now, now Isabelle," he made a tut noise and the young blonde tried to snap her arms from his hold. "I've been waiting for you here for a while...but you've been having me followed, haven't you?"

"I haven't," she spat back at him.

"Sorry," he rolled his eyes. "Daddy has been having me tracked...but they haven't found me yet and now here I am."

"What do you want?" she asked him simply. "I have the money if that is what is driving you to this?"

"I've thought of a better way to make your life a misery," he insisted and dragged her over to her sofa, settling her down as he hit her across the cheek.

"Now," he said, pushing her down, straddling her by the hips as she shuffled under his weight, unable to believe what was happening, "I've been thinking about how to make your life a misery."

"You've been doing that for the past week," she complained, pushing but not moving him from her as he produced a needle from his jacket pocket and her eyes went wide and she shook her head. "No," she hissed. "Keep that from me!"

"Why Isabelle?" he wondered. "Don't you want to face a relapse?"

"Marcus," she pleaded. "Don't do this...I'll give you the money back...I swear I will..."

"You've promised me a great many things Miss Daniels...I've never seen them taken care of."

"I don't want this," Isabelle choked out, her voice faint and her breathing shallow as she did so.

"But I want to watch," Marcus whispered into her ear and he finally placed the needle into her arm and her eyes closed, tears fell down her eyes as he injected the heroin into her veins, his face lighting up as her body went limp with the immediate effect. "There...that should be enough to help you relapse..."

"Jesus Christ," Isabelle moaned as the effect took over her body and Marcus climbed off from her and checked his watch.

"You remember my number for more Isabelle," Marcus declared. "You'll need it."

Isabelle watched him leave the room and she shook her head, clenching her left arm up and moving from the sofa, stumbling over to her bag as she pulled out her cell phone, hitting in the numbers which she needed.

"Cary," she spoke into the phone. "I need you."

...

Cary drove as fast as he could from his office at the State's Attorney and he kept checking his watch, wondering how long it would be until he was at her apartment. He finally got there and parked his car, jumping from it and locking it up, noticing he wasn't parked completely in the lines but not giving a care in the world. With haste he pushed open the doors on his way and knocked onto her door, shuffling his foot before she opened it.

"What happened?" he asked her, his hand going onto hers as she took hold of his, her eyes sobbing and her body shaking.

"He...I had no choice Cary..." she cried. "He made me...I took the heroin Cary..."

"How much have you had?" he asked her.

"Enough..." she said. "I'm a recovering addict...it made me feel relaxed Cary...it helped me."

"No," Cary said sternly. "It didn't. It did nothing."

"Yes it did," she argued. "I need more."

She tried to push past him but he wrapped his arm around her waist quickly, dragging her further into her apartment as he kicked the door shut and she struggled against him.

"This is what he wants Is," Cary spoke quickly and softly to her. "You don't need it...you don't need it..."

"I do Cary," she spoke quietly. "He has it and I know where he'll be."

"You're not going anywhere Isabelle," Cary said to her. "You're going to stay here and do the right thing."

"You don't know how hard it is," she snapped at him. "You don't know how good it made me feel!"

"I know I don't know!" Cary yelled back at her. "And I don't want to know and I'm not going to let you relapse. Do you understand me?"

"You don't tell me what to do!" Isabelle yelled, pushing him from her as they tussled and he managed to fall to the ground, trapping Isabelle under his weight as he looked at her and she stopped fighting him.

"Don't do this Is," he whispered.

"I can't help it," she muttered. "I can't do this Cary...not again..."

"I'm here," he promised her. "I'm here."

...

"Try and sleep," Cary advised her as she shuffled around on his lap and he held her tightly, making sure she couldn't go anywhere as she couldn't stay still. One moment she was grasping onto his shirt and the next her hands were balled up and resting on her lap, hitting her thigh.

"I can't do it," she muttered. "I can't sleep."

"You're not going anywhere," Cary snapped at her. "You're going to sleep and get over this. You don't have a choice."


	14. Chapter 14

"How is she?" Ian asked as he entered his daughter's apartment after being let in by Cary and the young lawyer ran a hand through his hair as he shut the door and locked it once again.

"She's sleeping," Cary said. "She was restless for ages and I didn't know what to do."

"Did you give into her and give her some more?" Ian asked and Cary shook his head quickly.

"No," he said. "I wouldn't do that."

"Then you did all you could," Ian informed the lawyer and he shook his head. "She's going to try and get out and gain some more drugs. Once she has more than she will become more dependent on them and it will be like it was a few years ago."

"What do you suggest is the best thing to do?" Cary quizzed Ian and he looked at Cary as they heard a loud noise which sounded like the opening of a window and Ian looked at the young blonde.

"You left her near a window?" he snapped at Cary as they moved into her room and saw her poking her head out the window. Ian rushed in, grabbing her round the waist as she tried to climb onto the fire escape window. Cary shut the window and locked it quickly as Isabelle struggled against her father's hold.

"Let me go!" she snapped and Ian shook his head.

"You're not going anywhere Isabelle," he told her. "You need to go cold turkey for a few days...you know that!"

"I need it daddy," she pleaded with him and he shook his head as Cary watched the pair of them, not knowing what to do as Ian held onto his daughter's wrists and she lay on her bed and he sat to the side of her.

"You don't need it baby," he told her. "This is what Marcus wants and you're not going to give into what he is trying to do to you. Do you understand me? Do you understand me Isabelle?"

Isabelle said nothing in return to her father and he stood up, checking the window was locked as Cary stood by the doorway and Ian pushed him from the room, looking back at his daughter.

"This is for the best Isabelle," he told her. "You'll see."

Ian shut the door quickly and locked it with no haste as Cary watched on and heard Isabelle stand up and try to open the door.

"You can't lock me in here!" she yelled out. "Daddy!"

"I can and I have done Isabelle," he told his daughter through the wood, closing his eyes as she continued protesting. "Try and sleep through it Is."

"Arsehole!" Isabelle spat out.

"No need for that," Ian replied back to her in a harsh voice. "Now calm down."

"That's your solution?" Cary asked, flapping his arms to the side and shaking his head. "You're going to lock her in her bedroom?"

"Have you ever dealt with a drug user before Mr Agos?" Ian snapped.

"No," Cary said. "But locking her in her room doesn't seem the right way to go about it."

"What do you think would happen if we let her out?" Ian replied. "She'd leave this apartment right now and go and find her next fix."

"But locking her in there-"

"-It is for her best interests!" Ian yelled back at Cary as Isabelle continued to hit the door. "You do not come here and lecture me about what is the best by my daughter Mr Agos. I have been through this before and you will do well to remember you know nothing."

"You've done this before?" Cary asked him. "Well Isabelle told me of how long it took before you decided to help her."

"What does that mean?" Ian hissed.

"She told me that you didn't help her until she was rushed into hospital after taking an overdose...after being found on the floor of some random man's bedroom...now that suggests to me that you didn't particularly care about your daughter when she was starting out becoming a user...you didn't care about her until you realised she could have died."

Ian remained silent for a moment, looking at the blonde after his outburst and he pursed his lips, shaking his head then he pointed at Cary.

"Don't you dare stand there and preach to me about how I haven't looked after my daughter," he warned Cary. "Don't you dare."

"Why not?" Cary replied. "Does the truth hurt?"

"Get out!" Ian snapped. "Get out right now."

"I'm not going anywhere," Cary replied and made the point by sitting on the sofa, crossing his legs and folding his arms as Ian looked at him.

"You're going to regret this Agos," he warned him. "No one makes a fool out of me, do you understand?"

"With all due respect," Cary replied. "I'm not here for you."

"And I'm going to make sure you're not here for Isabelle either."


	15. Chapter 15

"How is she?" Cary asked on the second day and he walked into Isabelle's apartment. He had been working at the State's Attorney but his mind had been elsewhere whilst he had been there. Ian had not left her apartment and he had kept his daughter locked in the room. He was making her go cold turkey before she went out and got more heroin to feed her addiction which she wanted.

"I thought I told you last night not to come here?" Ian checked. "And the night before."

"Well I don't take advice very well," Cary said. "I asked how is she."

"She's fine," Ian snapped. "She's nearly recovered."

"Well can I see her?"

"Are you serious?" he snapped. "Do you honestly believe I intend to let you see my daughter after what you said to me?"

"I don't think it matters what I say to you," Cary spoke. "I care for your daughter."

"So does half of the male population," Ian complained. "It doesn't mean anything."

"Well I don't fancy your daughter to be a flying fling," Cary said.

"I don't even want her to be that to you," Ian hissed. "She is far too good for you."

"I work in the State's Attorney and have my own car," Cary said dryly. "I'm good enough."

"You're too cocky for my liking," Ian decided.

"Well it is a good job for you that I don't want to date you," Cary rolled his eyes.

"Cary?" a sudden voice called out from the doorway. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," Cary replied, standing up and moving over to the doorway, pressing his ear against it as he heard Isabelle on the other side.

"Can you come here?" she asked him and Cary looked at Ian.

"That depends if your father gives me the key."

"He will," Isabelle decided. "Daddy...just let me out my room...I'm fine."

Ian reluctantly handed Cary the key, unable to keep his daughter locked up in her room as she sounded clean to him and he knew when she was genuine. Cary unlocked the door and slowly opened it up, seeing Isabelle sat on the end of her bed and she smiled weakly at him as Ian pushed past him and he kissed his daughter on the top of her head.

"You don't know how worried I was," Ian spoke. "I thought you were going to go back to how it was...but I'll find him...I will..."

"Okay," Isabelle simply said. "And thanks...for keeping me here..."

"It was no problem darling. You know that," he said to her and she looked at Cary and then back to her dad.

"You can go home dad," she told him and he narrowed his eyes at her and she shook her head.

"I'm fine daddy," she said to him. "Just...please...we can talk later."

"Okay," he reluctantly agreed with her. "I'm going to find Marcus and I'm going to sort this out."

"Dad," she complained slightly.

"I'm going Is," he assured her. "I'm going to sort this out."

"Okay," Isabelle said. "I'll see you later."

"Don't leave this apartment and do not be on your own."

"I'll stay with her," Cary stated. "I promise."

"That's part of the issue which bothers me." Ian complained and Cary chuckled once as Isabelle looked at the two of them.

"Have I missed something?" Isabelle wondered and Cary shrugged.

"There's nothing," Cary assured her. "Nothing important anyway."

"Okay," Isabelle said and Ian nodded.

"I'll go," Ian said and he began to walk out. "Remember my conditions."

"How can I forget?" Isabelle complained as he shut the door of her apartment and she looked at Cary as he sat beside her on the end of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he wondered.

"Like death warmed up," she spoke lightly. "And I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

"For you having to see like you did."

"You don't need to apologise for what someone did to you," he told her. "And you're fine now."

"I know," she complained and yawned. "I've had two days in here and have had the chance to sleep but I haven't wanted to."

"Well you can now," Cary said.

"Will you stay?"

"Of course," Cary promised and shrugged out from his coat, dropping it onto the end of the bed and moving his body up, settling down on the cushions as Isabelle moved back hesitantly, resting her head onto his shoulder as he grasped onto her hand. "I was worried."

"You were?"

"Of course," Cary replied. "You're my PA. I have to care."

"Shut up," she complained. "And I'm not your PA anymore."

"Much to my dismay."

"Really?"

"Of course," Cary promised her. "Besides...my new PA doesn't make my coffee right."


	16. Chapter 16

"Isabelle," Will Gardner greeted the PA as she walked into his office after being summoned there and she smiled at him brightly and took a seat. She had taken one week from work and in that time her father had managed to mysteriously dispose of Marcus as his body had been found in the back of a dumpster. Lockhart and Gardner had no case from her father because of that. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine thank you Mr Gardner," she told Will. "I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to still keep my job here."

"Well it would have been unfair for me to have fired you," he shrugged. "You're a good PA and your father filled me in as to why you were away."

"Oh," she simply said. "He told you the truth?"

"It is nothing to be ashamed of Isabelle," he assured her. "But I wanted to talk to you about Cary."

"What about Cary?" she asked him.

"He's...well he's about to frame the wrong client for something which they didn't do," Will informed her and she raised a brow at Will.

"I'm no lawyer Mr Gardner," she told him and he nodded quickly as he looked at his phone which had suddenly gone off and he raised a brow at it, texting back quickly.

"I am aware," he told her as his fingers hit the keys. "But we think that Cary is hiding vital information from us."

"And what is it that you would like me to do about this?" Isabelle replied. "I don't intend to spy on him."

"I don't want you to spy on him," Will shook his head, placing his phone onto his desk after smirking at it and then looking seriously at Isabelle. "I want you to see if he's keeping anything from us."

"That is effectively spying Mr Gardner," Isabelle informed him. "I'm not going to do it."

"Okay," Will said simply and handed a file to her side of the desk and he nodded at it. "Take a look."

Isabelle picked the file up and opened it and quickly began to flick through it as Will spoke;

"Andrew Connors is a thirty eight year old man with a wife and two sons. He was caught in a shooting and is being seen as the defendant because the man with the gun knocked him unconscious and placed the gun into his hand which meant his prints were all over it, hence he is being framed."

"And how do you know this to be true?" she asked. "Is there no CCTV?"

"None at all," Will spoke. "The security cameras were a fake and there are no witnesses anywhere."

"So how is it that you have a case?"

"The trace of one other man's print was found on the gun," Will told her. "But the majority of the prints were Andrew's and so he is the one being found guilty as the other print couldn't be traced."

"And what do you think Cary is hiding from you?"

"There is CCTV from across the road that he won't allow us to look at until near the end of the case and by then the jury could have made their minds up," Will informed Isabelle and she looked down onto the picture of Connors and her family and then back at Will. "If you can ask him to give us the footage earlier it would be appreciated...there is an innocent man's life at risk here."

...

"Did it work?" Alicia asked as Will and she stood at the top of the steps and looked down where Isabelle sat at her desk, her hand running through her blonde hair before burying her face into them and shaking her head.

"I don't know," Will said. "I told her what is at stake and she seems to realise that Connors is more than likely an innocent man."

"But will she speak to Cary about it? It could damage their relationship Will."

"She's too nice for Cary anyway," Will shrugged. "He's been causing us problems for the last few weeks and seems to have turned cold to cases...I always knew he was a suck up but now he's become a pain in the arse."

"Isabelle likes him Will," Alicia spoke. "Their work and personal lives are different now...and maybe that would help them."

"And you think that by asking her to question him then I have destroyed that?" Will looked at Alicia and she shrugged.

"We'll have to see."

...

"Is that the Connors case?" Isabelle asked Cary as she walked about his kitchen and he read through case notes at the table and he looked at her with a raised brow whilst she chopped up vegetables.

"Yeah," he simply replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Will was speaking about it today," she shrugged. "He thinks the guy is being framed."

"He would think that. He is defending him."

"And what do you think?"

"I think it is my job to find him guilty of the shooting," Cary told her. "It is irrelevant as to what I think."

"So to find him guilty then you're planning on keeping evidence from Will?" she asked him and he dropped his pen onto the glass table, folding his arms and looking at her.

"Is that what he told you? He thinks I am keeping evidence from him?"

"He thinks that you aren't telling him the whole truth," Isabelle shrugged. "I just wondered if it was true."

"No you didn't," Cary replied. "Will wouldn't tell you anything unless he needed you to do something for him. And he wants you to find something out from me, doesn't he?"

"Maybe he was just voicing his opinion?" Isabelle suggested and Cary shook his head.

"Not to you Isabelle. You're a PA and he wouldn't share facts about cases with you when he has his own team to do that with him and so I think he has an agenda which includes you spying on me," Cary spoke to her and she rolled her eyes.

"He thinks you're keeping CCTV from him," she admitted and Cary smirked and went back to writing down his notes.

"Maybe I am," he muttered and Isabelle couldn't believe what she had heard.

"So why are you doing that? Surely he needs a fair trial?"

"He's going down regardless," Cary said. "The evidence is against him."

"He has kids and a wife Cary," Isabelle said, dropping the knife she was using.

"And he could also have killed a man," Cary replied. "What is your point?"

"My point is that he should have a fair trial because he could be innocent. He has too much to lose on this," she said and Cary rolled his eyes.

"Unbelievable," he stated. "Will has managed to use you in all of this and your judgement has been clouded."

"My judgement hasn't been clouded," she shook her head.

"Well if Will didn't even want to use you then you wouldn't know any of this," Cary snapped, shutting his folder and looking at her. "I mean you're only a secretary at the law firm...you make the drinks and do the photocopying and that is all you're there for. It isn't like you have a hard time there...you just swan about in your tight skirts and do what you're told."

Isabelle looked at Cary for a moment and then picked up the bowl of chopped vegetables which she cut up and chucked them into the bin whilst Cary shut his eyes for a second, realising he shouldn't have said to her as she slammed the bowl onto the worktop and he stood up.

"Isabelle..." he began but before he could even say anything Isabelle had picked up her glass of orange juice and as she stood opposite Cary she raised it over his head and poured it on top of his blonde hair and looked at him before slamming the glass onto the table and picking her coat up, shrugging into it and picking her bag up whilst Cary watched her but he was too proud to say anything back to her.


	17. Chapter 17

"He is keeping the CCTV footage from you," Isabelle told Will when she walked into the work the next day. She had stormed into his office quickly and allowed the door to slam shut behind her whilst she stood in front of his desk and he stopped typing on his computer. "He's keeping it from you and he doesn't care about anyone he hurts because of it."

"Right," Will said. "Did he tell you this willingly?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Isabelle replied, holding her hands into the air. "I don't even want to discuss it."

"Has something happened Isabelle?" Will asked, wondering why she was shaking her head and looking like she was turning redder with anger every second that ticked by.

"No," she said. "I just realised that Cary Agos is a pompous arse."

"It has taken you a while," Will muttered and Isabelle shrugged.

"He's changed ever since he went to the State's Attorney. I've only just noticed because of everything I've been through...but the cases...he's...he..."

"Whilst you were off ill he accused someone innocent of third degree murder," Will told her. "He wants to convict anyone he can to secure a conviction."

"That's what I don't like about him," Isabelle whispered and left the room, shutting the door and walking back down to her own desk.

"Mike," she greeted him when she saw him walk into the main office and he looked at her, perching himself on the edge of his desk as she continued typing.

"I heard you and that lawyer of yours had an argument," he commented and Isabelle looked at him with wide eyes.

"How do you even know that?" she wondered and he chuckled once, running a hand through his hair.

"Word travels fast through court," Mike shrugged. "Apparently Cary has been in a foul mood and you're the reason because of it."

"Is nothing sacred anymore?" she muttered and went back to typing.

"Apparently not," Mike said. "Well if you need anyone to talk to then I'm here."

"Thanks," Isabelle replied. "But I think I'm okay."

...

"You noticed what the entire office has noticed?" Will asked Alicia as they took the ride to court and Alicia flicked through her notes whilst Will drove.

"The office staff sure do like to gossip, huh?" Alicia checked.

"Cary and Isabelle breaking it off and Mike being into her," Will said.

"Kalinda told me," Alicia shrugged. "She also told me that Isabelle isn't interested in Mike but he has been hanging around her like the plague."

"It took her long enough to realise what an arse Cary is," Will snorted. "She's too nice for him."

"I don't know," Alicia shrugged. "He's the hard arsed lawyer and she's the girl who makes him nice."

"Ha," Will snorted. "That is debateable."

"I think they worked in an odd way," Alicia said. "And we need to discuss what we're doing this Saturday night."

"I have a hot date at a hotel with this lawyer...you might know her," Will joked and Alicia chuckled once, running a hand through her hair.

"I don't like the sneaking around Will," she said to him. "I want us to go somewhere but..."

"You're married to Peter," Will sighed once. "And we both know he'll be out in a matter of weeks."

"He says jail has changed him."

"And what do you think?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I don't know what to do."

"I know what you should do," Will said. "He cheated on you."

"I'm cheating on him Will."

"We haven't done anything yet."

"But when we do then I will," Alicia said. "And I don't know if I can do that to him."

...

"Cary," Will smirked as they stood outside the court and saw the young blonde haired lawyer. Alicia waited a second before she decided she wanted to put her plan into action.

"Will," Cary replied. "And Alicia."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Cary replied. "Looking after the innocent people of Chicago now."

"And prosecuting them too."

"All in the name of the law," Cary replied quickly before Will was called off to speak to another lawyer.

"She's upset," Alicia simply stated, holding her briefcase in her hands whilst Cary looked around the corridor at the passing people and ignoring Alicia's stare.

"Who is?" he asked her and she rolled her eyes.

"Isabelle. She's been stomping around the office all morning," she said and Cary shook his head.

"She has a right to stomp if she wishes," he replied.

"I don't think you should withhold information Cary," Alicia decided. "But I don't think Isabelle should have been brought into it."

"Well she decided to be," Cary said. "She decided to be used and it worked."

"But she didn't want to end things with you," Alicia said. "You should just talk to her."

"She poured orange juice over my head," Cary snapped in a quiet tone so only Alicia could hear. "She can apologise to me!"

"And you can apologise to her for telling her she was just a PA with tight skirts," Alicia said and Cary looked at her, wondering how she knew that information. "Kalinda has her sources."

"Well she is just a PA," Cary replied and Alicia shook her head.

"She was a PA you went to great lengths to protect...and yes...Will told me about her past and what you did for her."

"You and Will seem to be close."

"You and Isabelle should be close," Alicia stated. "You need to apologise to her because she will find someone else."

"Then let her," Cary shrugged. "She made her feelings quite clear to me."

"She was angry! She didn't mean it Cary," Alicia said. "Mike is slowly worming his way into her life."

"What?" Cary asked.

"He's been nice to her all morning. Making her coffee and doing most of her work and even talking to her in his office."

"I bet he has," Cary snorted.

"Just stop being so proud and vain and tell her how you feel."


	18. Chapter 18

"A tequila shot is compulsory," Alicia informed Isabelle as they sat in the bar down the road from Lockhart and Gardner and Isabelle looked at Alicia and then at Kalinda who was nodding from behind her friend.

"Even if it isn't a tradition it does help," Kalinda shrugged and Isabelle looked at the drink and downed it quickly, coughing once as the other two left their drinks untouched and chuckled at her.

"That's nasty," she complained.

"Well there are plenty more of them coming for you," Alicia assured her and Isabelle rolled her eyes.

"I don't think so," she said. "I have work tomorrow."

"Don't we all?" Kalinda raised a brow and downed her own drink whilst Alicia chuckled and downed her tequila, moving her nose as she did so.

"I really should be getting home," Isabelle declared and Alicia shook her head.

"You need to have more fun!"

"And that is coming from the woman who doesn't take her own advice," Kalinda said. "Both of you wouldn't know fun if it hit you in the face."

"I have two kids and a mother in law who makes my life a living hell," Alicia said, her eyes narrowed. "I can have fun when I want to."

"Well in that case I will stay," Isabelle said. "On the condition there shall be vodka and coke."

"Coming up," Kalinda said and gained the barman's attention as Isabelle noted a tall man walking into the bar and she rolled her eyes, resting her head onto her hand as she leaned into the bar.

"Mike is on the prowl," she declared and the two women looked around before looking back at Isabelle.

"He's seen you," Alicia said.

"Isabelle," his voice suddenly spoke and the blonde turned in her stool and smiled at the man she was PA for and he gave her a toothy grin back.

"Hey Mike."

"I didn't know you would be here," he informed her.

"It's a girl thing," Alicia said.

"Oh right," Mike spoke. "Then won't you need some male company to make the night?"

"I doubt it," Kalinda said in a mutter but the man took the stool next to Isabelle's and she began to drink her vodka and coke quicker than normal as he began to converse with her. It didn't take long before she began to feel woozy. Alicia noted it and Kalinda silently made her excuse to leave whilst Alicia took a call, informing her that her daughter had been ill and so she felt as though she should leave. But she didn't want to leave Isabelle with Mike in her drunken state.

And so she dialled the only man she knew would look after the secretary.

"And why are you calling me so late?" Cary asked when he picked up his mobile. He was still at the State's Attorney Office and preparing for a case he had the following day whilst Alicia rolled her eyes.

"You need to get down to Miguel Bar," she said to him.

"And why would I need to do that?"

"Because your ex girlfriend is drunk and I don't think her new boss would mind taking advantage of her," Alicia said.

"Technically we were never girlfriend or boyfriend," Cary simply replied back to her.

"Stop being an arse and get down here."

"Why can't you look after her?"

"Because I need to get home and her apartment is nowhere near mine," Alicia said.

"And I'm busy too," Cary replied.

"Do you care for her?" Alicia snapped and Cary said nothing in response. "We both know that you do and so stop being a stuck up lawyer and get down here and apologise for what you said. Be the bigger man and don't let Mike get his way."

"Why do you even care?"

"Because I've been the one who has seen her moping around the office because she misses you and I know she doesn't want Mike but she wants you."

"She made it clear that she didn't want me when she poured her drink on my head."

"You really do not understand women Cary," Alicia sighed. "Now get down here."

...

"I'm here," Cary snapped when he saw Alicia and he saw Isabelle's bright blonde hair at the bar and the man beside her.

"She's over there. She's all yours," Alicia said and scampered off quickly.

Cary sighed once, moving over to the bar and standing behind Isabelle.

"Let's get you home," he demanded from her and she turned around and saw him, snorting once and rolling her eyes.

"Are you seriously telling me what to do?" she asked him. "You don't control me."

"Agos is it?" Mike checked. "Why don't you just leave Isabelle alone?"

"Why don't you just shut up?" Cary wondered.

"Hey," Mike snapped back at him. "Less of that. Isabelle can make up her mind. And she wants to stay here with me."

"I don't think she does," Cary shook his head. "Now come on Isabelle."

"Why are you even here?" Isabelle wondered.

"Alicia wanted me to give you a ride home."

"I can do that," Mike piped up.

"I am sure you could," Cary said with irony in his voice.

"What are you implying?" Mike asked; standing up as Isabelle did the same, stepping between the two men.

"Both of you can pack it in," she warned them.

"No," Mike said. "He doesn't seem to get the message you want nothing to do with him."

"And you don't seem to get the message that she wants nothing to do with you."

"We will let her be the decider of that," Mike hissed.

"Oh my God," Isabelle complained. "It's like being in high school."

"At least I never hurt her," Mike said. "We all know what you said about her."

"Well at least I'm not the office creep who keeps leering at her," Cary replied and Mike leaned forward, knocking Isabelle out of his way as he grabbed onto the collar of Cary's coat, pushing him against the bar and causing bottles to fall onto the floor.

"Mike!" Isabelle snapped.

"Want to say that to my face again Agos?"

"I'd love to," Cary replied in a hiss as he pushed Mike from him and the blonde haired man was hit by a punch straight from Mike and Cary fell back, grabbing onto his chin as Mike advanced towards him.

"Pack it in!" Isabelle snapped at Mike, stopping him from getting to Cary as she looked back at the young blonde haired man. "Now go home."

"And where are you going?"

"To sort Cary out," she said and Cary followed her from the bar as she found his car and he unlocked the doors and they both climbed in with silence looming between them.

"I knew you'd come back with me," Cary stated.

"Here," Isabelle said and pressed a tissue from her clutch onto Cary's bleeding lip and allowed him to take hold of it.

"Where are you going?" he asked as she climbed from the car.

"I'm going to call a cab and go home."

"I can drive you," Cary said.

"I'd rather walk."

"Don't be daft."

"I'm not."

"I didn't mean what I said."

"Yes you did. I'm just a PA with tight skirts, remember?"

"But they're nice tight skirts," Cary assured her.

"It's going to take more than that to make it up to me Cary."


	19. Chapter 19

"Thanks for the promotion," Isabelle told Will for the second time that day as she sorted out the files on her desk outside of his office and he shrugged as he stood in front of her desk.

"You've been working really well and deserved it," he said to her. "Now I have that case this afternoon and it is in court and well...I need you there but..."

"I know," she said. "I know he's going to be there."

"Have you two not sorted anything out?" Will asked her and she shook her head.

"He was in the same bar as me and Maria the other week and he...I don't even know why I'm telling you this because it isn't important to you," she shook her head and Will sat down in the chair opposite the desk outside his office.

"Go on," he urged her. "I do care Isabelle...I'm not all dull and work based. Besides, I've known you for years."

"I saw him pulling another girl," she said. "The worst part of it was that he did it right in front of my face as if he wanted to rub it in."

"He probably did," Will said honestly. "He's like that."

"Well I don't care," Isabelle shrugged and Will saw through her facade. "I'll have the papers ready by two."

"You're a star," he winked and stood up, walking through the corridors until he got to Alicia's office, shutting the door as she smiled up at him.

"I think it's a good job I gave her that promotion," Will told Alicia and she nodded, still working as she spoke to him.

"I do too."

"I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't have pushed me...and then you told me of your ulterior motives," Will smirked and Alicia shrugged.

"I didn't like the way Mike looked at her," Alicia replied. "I thought it made sense to have her with you because I knew you wouldn't make a move."

"Why not?" Will teased her. "She's a smart and successful young girl."

"But she's not me, is she?" Alicia cocked a brow and Will chuckled, running his hand along the back of his neck.

"You've got me there," he said. "There's also the fact she's still madly in love with Cary."

"I know that," Alicia rolled her eyes. "And so does Cary but he's too much of an arse to make a full apology."

"True," Will replied. "Anyway...I was thinking...you know that Peter is out-"

"-I can't do it yet Will," Alicia shook her head. "I can't break up with him yet...the kids missed him..."

"But what about us?" Will asked her. "I thought we had something?"

"We do," she assured him. "I just need time...I need to think it through."

...

"Just sit in the gallery and don't say anything," Will told Isabelle and she nodded once, her briefcase in her hands as she passed Will the notes which he needed and he took them and looked down at them, straightening out his jacket. "Cary is going to be on the full offensive so if you can't-"

"- I can handle it," she told him. "I know he's trying to put our client into jail on false accounts..."

"But he will rip him to shreds. I've seen Cary in court recently and he's become nasty."

"I've seen him be nasty out of work," Isabelle replied in a whisper as she saw the man in question himself. He was running a hand through his gelled hair before he walked over to the pair of them, his suit crisp and clean and his body language holding himself high as he shook hands with Will.

"Ready for this Gardner?"

"Never been more ready," Will replied and Will looked at Isabelle as she looked back at Cary who sniffed once, running his hand into his pocket.

"Isabelle," he simply spoke. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"She was promoted," Will replied. "Mike didn't really need her."

"Oh Mike," Cary said in a snap. "Isn't he the lawyer you were supposed to be-"

"-Shut up," Isabelle replied before he said anything. "You know there was nothing between us."

"I don't care what you get up to in your free time," Cary replied. "I don't work there anymore."

"Lay off her Cary," Will warned him. "She isn't anything to do with you anymore and this isn't the time or the place for your argument."

"Whatever you say," Cary shrugged. "Shall we go in then?"

...

"What are you doing here?" Cary asked when he walked into his office and he saw Isabelle sat there. "I saw you leave court but why are you here?"

"What turned you into such a cold bastard?" she spat out and he shut the door, unbuttoning his jacket before he sat down on his chair and looked at the young woman. "You know he didn't commit this crime but you insist on putting him away for it. You're doing this because you need to convict someone and you don't care if you hurt anyone by doing it."

"I didn't know you were so involved in the case," Cary replied. "Or is this an ulterior motive for you being here."

"No," she replied quickly. "You weren't like this Cary."

"Well people change."

"Clearly," Isabelle snorted. "I didn't think you were the type of guy to pull anyone in a club."

"You saw that?" he checked with her and she rolled her eyes.

"You know I did," she replied. "You did it right in front of me."

"She was good," he replied quickly.

"I am sure she was."

"Jealous?"

"Of her?"

"Of me being with someone else?"

"You flatter yourself too much."

"Well why is there a problem?"

"I don't even know," Isabelle replied and she stood up. "I don't know why I came here..."

"Neither do I," Cary told her. "I just think you wanted to see me."

"Did I ever mean anything to you?" Isabelle asked, her hand resting on the doorknob. "I honestly thought that..."

"There is no point in dwelling on the past Isabelle," he muttered.

"I suppose not."


	20. Chapter 20

Cary sat at his desk in the State's Attorney's office after Isabelle had left him and he dropped his head into his hands, burying his eyes shut and sighing loudly as he did so. He didn't want to swallow his pride and get her back. His career was something which mattered to him and if she couldn't put up with him and what he had become then he knew that the pair of them would never work out. It was possibly for the best that she and he were over. But there was always the part of him which longed to have her back. He was only male after all.

...

"So what has got you down recently?" Ian Daniels asked his daughter as he sat in the restaurant he had picked out that afternoon. Isabelle was sat opposite him, her hair hanging around her shoulders and her suit neatly pressed. It was only her dinner break but she knew her father had a tendency to keep her longer than an hour. But Will never minded. Her father was a great client with his insurance business.

"Nothing," Isabelle shook her head, picking at her salad and then drinking some of her water.

"I haven't seen you in a while Is," Ian informed his daughter. "I know our drug dealer friend hasn't been giving you bother whilst I've been in Mexico."

"You sorted him out, didn't you?" she asked and Ian sensed slight annoyance in his daughter's voice as he cut up his beef.

"He hurt my little girl," Ian shrugged. "Of course I sorted him out. Now, what is wrong with you? How are things between you and that young lawyer? Cary, is it?"

"Nonexistent," Isabelle informed her father simply and he raised a brow.

"Oh," he said. "Do you care to share what happened or am I going to have to pay him a visit?"

"No," Isabelle said quickly. "We just broke it off. It wasn't working."

"You seemed quite taken with him the last time I saw you two."

"Which – as you said – was ages ago," Isabelle pointed out. "I'm fine daddy. I don't need anything."

"You are aware that you can't fool me, aren't you?" Ian checked with her, chewing loudly on his beef and she nodded once, pushing her blonde hair behind her shoulders.

"I am not trying to," she promised him. "I am just simply saying that Cary and I weren't working out. Please can you leave it?"

"I suppose so."

...

"So how is it being on higher ground?" Maria nudged her friend when she saw her in the photocopying room after the lunch hour and Isabelle smirked lightly, nodding once as she did so.

"It isn't bad," she said and Maria lent on the photocopier.

"I can't believe how luck you are. First you got to ogle Cary and now Will," she rolled her eyes in jealousy. "I would give you my only pair of Prada heels to swap positions."

"I am sure you would," Isabelle chuckled.

"But I would not be able to do anything with Cary because he broke your heart," Maria said, placing her hand onto her chest. "And that would just be disrespectful to friends."

"He didn't break my heart," Isabelle rolled her eyes and Maria snorted, picking at her nail with intent.

"Yes he did," she told her friend."You were finally falling for him and you two broke it off."

"Because he was prosecuting someone innocent and withholding evidence!" Isabelle snapped quickly and Maria shrugged.

"You're not a lawyer," she told her friend. "Only lawyer's should worry about that."

"It was the wrong thing to do," Isabelle muttered, picking up her papers and Maria placed hers into the machine.

"Normally the law is wrong," she informed Isabelle. "It still doesn't come between relationships."

...

"What are you doing here?" Cary asked when he saw Isabelle sat in a bar alone. He took a seat on the stool next to her as she drank the vodka and coke which was in her hands and she looked at him guiltily.

"If I told you that I had Kalinda look into your schedule and she found out you were here to meet a client would you be disturbed?" Isabelle asked him and Cary smirked once, placing his order at the bar and looking back at her.

"The fact that Kalinda found my schedule isn't disturbing," he shook his head. "But the fact you wanted to know is worrying."

"We need to talk," she told him and looked down at her coke. "The last few weeks...I've missed you Cary..."

"Keep going," he urged her and she shook her head.

"That's it," she simply told him. "I've missed who you used to be. I've missed the person you were when you were sweet...kind...and...even protective...but recently...you've turned deceitful."

"I do what I have to do for my job," he shrugged.

"I suppose that is the bit I don't understand," Isabelle shrugged. "I don't have the guts to prosecute innocent people."

"It isn't our place to find them innocent or guilty," he said to her. "But I see why it is an issue to most people...and...well...I've...sort of...I've missed you..."

"So what now?" Alison asked after Cary downed his scotch and he shrugged lightly at her.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"I have an idea," Isabelle told him before she kissed him quickly.


End file.
